Wacken Open Air 2022 – Saturday Review

As TotalRock was walking through embracing the warm weather on holy ground, it was a little hard to believe that in 24 hours, it’ll be over for another year. While that was the case, it did not stop the celebrations. So, let’s continue, shall we?

Keeping the party going on the Harder Stage were Bleed From Within, who have been continuing to take the charge on modern metal. Taking to stage, ‘I Am Damnation’ filled the arena with the right notes enticing their crowd with the first cirlcepit of the day. The Scottish troupe later played ‘Pathfinder’, which the dust elevated in continuing with the fast-paced triple stacked “Alive”, “Flesh And Stone”, and “Fracture”. From witnessing the admiration from their congregation of their early morning fruitful set, leader Scott Kennedy embraced the audience over the barrier with their closing belter “The End Of All We Know”, adding a little touch of brilliance.

Switching to the Faster Stage and melodic death metal homegrowers Neaera were ready to display dynamism on stage to be mirrored back from their spectators. Just to show that the German lads were back in business, their frontrunner Benjamin Hilleke took to the circlepits, being carried upon someone’s shoulders, participated in the wall of death and an occasional crowdsurf! One couldn’t help but smile from their sheer joy from all members. Notable songs such as “Ours Is The Storm”, “Eight Thousand Sorrows Deep”, “Synergy” and “Let The Tempest Come” gave such agreat impression that one can anticipate future live shows.

Walking over to the Louder Stage had a Rock icon ready to give her ‘heart’ to Wacken Open Air. The legendary Ann Wilson performed her own three personal best songs “Greed”, “Black Wing” and “Rain of Hell” while unveiling  Heart’s classics like “Magic Man”, “Even It Up”, “Crazy On You”, and the infamous track “Barracuda”. A few treats were thrown into the mix in the form from covers covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, Alice in Chains “Rooster” and The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” made the experience of witnessing an icon in a large live setting an enjoyable sight.

TotalRock and Wacken Open Air greeted  Voice of Baceprot with a gracious respect who’ve flown all the way from Indonesia to let rip on the Headbangers Stage! The young and vivacious trio covered their favourite metal songs from legendary acts Metallica snd Rage Against The Machine which gave them interest to the metal community worldwide. While this enabled them to develop to the point where original songs were created, the fresh ensemble gave a flavour of their distinctive sounds such as “(Not) Public Property”, “School Revolution” and their brilliant closer “God, Allow Me (Please) to Play Music”, showing no fear to their overall display.

Moving along to the Faster Stage to observe the renowned Life of Agony was a pleasing sight for all spectators The quartet played the best from their “River Runs Red” record such as the thumping “My Eyes” and “Bad Seed” gave a slow rush through to their recital. The classics “Method of Groove”, “This Time” and their grand closer “Underground” was the perfect end to the mid-afternoon breeze across the sweltering plains all the while adored by their fans throughout.

Hailing from Canada and recognised by the Juno Awards for Best Metal Album before the pandemic, Striker were the heavy metal group that was needed to cleanse the palette. The five-man troupe displayed on their debut speed, thrash and heavy metal inspired by the greats of the 1980s, and made their sounds independent and special at the Headbangers Stage. Joy can be seen by their healthy fanbase showing a delightful taste with “Out For Blood”, “Crossroads”, “Phoenix Nights” and “Full Speed or No Speed”.

Bringing grace and magnitude onto the Harder Stage, Tarja and the whole band made sure that there was delights delivered through each track played. Throughout their one hour performance, their viewers given the pleasure of hearing and witnessing the temptress songs such as, “Demons In You”, “Goodbye Stranger”, “Innocence” and a splendid cover of Gary Moore’s iconic tune “Over The Hills And Far Away”.

“Thank you for giving us the chance to play”, rung through the air of the Faster Stage after their last appearance in a decade. Those who witnessed that a new leash of life was in the hands of As I Lay Dying. The freshly reformed metalcore quintet had the crowd in the palm of their hands even before the first chord was struck. The brutality in dust and smoke in their hour long set was a thrilling sight while hearing the threatening “Within Destruction” bringing their witnesses in ferocious unity with “The Sound Of Truth”, “Shaped By Fire”, “An Ocean Between Us” and “A Greater Foundation”.

As the sun began to set over the Wacken horizon, another set of legends were prepared to tear a new hole into the history books. Arch Enemy took to the Faster Stage fully dominating the evening, blasting into ‘The World Is Yours’.  The fields were spoilt with two new deliveries “In The Eye Of The Storm” and “The Watcher”, which was received very well. Throughout the set, the  did play a few of their outstanding hits such as “Ravenous”, “War Eternal”, “My Apocalypse” and “Nemesis”. While the heavy-filled fields ate every moment by the time the performance reached a successful end, this fully displays the embodiment in the full power of the songs and their status as a brilliant live band.

Even the Harder Stage embraced their main event, the holy ground crowd were given a spectacle of zombies being fought off by an army in the theme of Viking folklore. Then, all were directed to the screens in revealing the first eleven bands that will be on in Wacken 2023, which was met with joyous union. By the time that this review was published, TotalRock can confirm that the festival sold-out within five hours!

Now this is what Wacken Open Air has been waiting for! After their 2019 groundbreaking set, it made sense for Germany’s home grown quintet Powerwolf to give the deserved end to the four day weekend on the Harder Stage. With the stage set like one has entered inside gothic cathedral, the leaders were ready to howl into the night with their greatest songs while hanging digital backdrops form the scenery for each chant. The fire and flames and church-related gimmicks were not spared either! Recognisable tunes such as “Army Of The Night”, the crowd pleasing “Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ and the groovy ‘Werewolves Of Armenia’ brought the loudest voices to be heard from the dark fields. Along with the entertaining  “Resurrection By Erection”, the humorous “Blood For Blood”, the bombastic “Sanctified With Dynamite” and their blockbuster ending “We Drink Your Blood’, the German powerhouse took several steps to make their show as over the top yet epically thrilling for their Wacken family to be a part of in the history books.

Everything that one has heard from an exciting band from Eastern Europe was held as true. Closing the Headbangers Stage in great style was Moldova’s  Infected Rain who were determined to electrify with emotion that emanated from each band member that is often missing in metal music behind the screams and darkness. The quintet commanded their crowd with utter ease with an hour set that their audience wouldn’t be able to catch their collective breaths on! For the last time, thrills were made effortlessly when all members switched between melody and heavy grooves reminiscent to the nu metal era.

As darkness finally settled on the fields of the legendary festival, one cannot help but feel honoured to be a part of the everlasting memories while also sensing a collective sadness on the festival ending for another year. However, embracing that Wacken Open Air will be back after the world briefly stopped, fans have made it possible into making 2023 a sell-out. One cannot help but feel proud of not only the outcome, but of how the festival came out victorious! TotalRock would love to say thank you, the reader, for enjoying our words and photos of the weekend. It was our pleasure and we’ll impatiently wait for new memories to be made. So, for now… danke und bis nächstes jahr (translated as thank you and see you next year)!

 

Review: Phillip Krawiec

Photos: Sabrina Ramdoyal – TotalRock Photo Gallery